Riders' Legacy the next generation
by Ponyful is Awesome
Summary: Alimorel, an elf woman living in Alagaesia, is a royal spy, as well as a blacksmith. But soon her life would be overturned when she captures a half elf, half human boy. But he is more than just a hybred, he is an illegitimate son. Alezando Eragonsson.
1. Chapter 1

Alimorel Silentread just finished making five uniformed swords for Queen Islanzadi's new bodyguards. Alimorel hoped that the new ones would work out better. After her last five turned out to be assassins from an underground society trying to bring down "dictators" and bring democracy into the elves world. Alimorel herself wouldn't mind seeing how this new form of government would work, but she would not help in the downfall of a kind and just Queen, let alone her friend. Alimorel walked into the Queen's throne room. "Ah, miss Silentread." Said the queen, "I see you've made the swords. Thank you." Turning to her new bodyguards she said "Each of you, take one. They are all the same. Now I would like to speak to Miss Silentread alone." Taking Alimorel to a corner of the room she said "Thank you Ali. And I trust you put that shielding charm on them, correct?" "Yes, Islanzadi. If they ever try to harm you with those swords they will not be able to come within three inches of your body, though they can harm you with other weapons like arrows." "Good. I'm still a bit shocked. Have you found the society yet?" asked the Queen, barely disguising her excitement. "Yes, Islanzadi, I believe I have." replied Alimorel. "They are made up of mostly mediocre assassins and soldiers, though their leader concerns me. He knows secrets about you that few know. You and he may have met sometime?" it was a question. Islanzadi was troubled. She said "Ali, I want you to go and find out about him. Come back, report, then I will order you to leave him, take him, or kill him." "I can't wait." Alimorel thought savagely. "Then go!" said Islanzadi, "Make sure you know everything." Alimorel slipped on her mask and grabbed her weapons as she ran out of the throneroom.

Alimorel listened to their conversations through the drainpipe. _Boy, are they stupid_ she though, if they don't even have the sense to block their stupid pipes. She quickly sent her spider that she had enchanted earlier up the pipe. Then Alimorel tuned into its senses. She saw the man with the misshapen nose and then she saw the leader. She quickly started sketching him using the charcoal from her bag and the blank scroll Islanzadi had given her. She first drew his large, almost round gray eyes. Then his plump but scrunched-up mouth. The edition of his small, flat nose made him look like a pouting child. Then she drew his pale skin. Not normal for one who lives in the forest. His blonde bowl-cut hair showed his small, round human ears. He was a squat little man, though he walked with a purpose. Then she sketched the other man. A tall black man like Nasuada. He was bald, but had a fu-man-chu mustache which made Alimorel almost laugh. Then a boy walked into the room, carrying a tray with tea for both men on it. She started to sketch him when a detail made her stop. His ears, which were unusually large for a human's, seemed to be a slightly different color than the rest of his face. It was a detail only an elves eyes could catch. As she studied his ears even more closely, she saw the seam where moldable flesh-clay met skin. Alimorel was beginning to form a hypothesis. All of the pieces were starting to fit together. This "boy" had dark, dusty-brown hair that curved around in front and behind his ears. It was slightly fluffy and soft-looking, and it almost curled at some points. It almost came down over his eyes when it was flattened with his cap and it was slightly shaggy and curly in the back. His face was oval-shaped, like some humans, and that puzzled her, because he did bear some resemblance to an elf. The boys' movements were fluid and he was almost streamlined but for the obvious bulge of human muscle. He could have passed for an elf, even with the oval-shaped face. She could take a pretty good guess at what was behind those clay ears. The only other puzzlement for her was his eyes. Not slanting and catlike, as elves were, but almond-shaped, framed with dark lashes, and grayish-blue irises. Alimorel sketched him quickly and summoned the spider back, not seeing the boy glance at it as it went. She studied him. He was a very peculiar thing. She was sure she had never seen him before. She drew in the pointed ears that she was sure were behind the clay and even then he looked too human to have lived in her elven world. He was kind of handsome if you looked at him enough, but. . ._Stop it!_ Alimorel internally slapped herself. _You STUPID girl, you can't get distracted from this job! Islanzadi's life is at stake here. Maybe you are too young for this, like they said._ No! She would not let others opinions be her own. Now she needed to get back. She stood up just as she heard the whisper of a knife being thrown. She ducked back down again but too late. It landed with a _Thud! _Right in the small of her back. The force of the throw threw her over and she landed face-first on the ground. "Damn it! I didn't wanna kill it! It just HAD to freakin' sit down. I WAS aiming for the leg. . ." it was clear that he was mumbling to himself. Alimorel flexed her back and winced. The point of the knife had driven all the way through her thick leather vest and just managed to puncture her back. Well, she wasn't dead, right? Now she at least knew part of what she was up against. An expert knife-thrower, and a forceful one. She let the man drag her out of the shadows. "Oh crap, it's an elf. Islanzadi's gonna track me down and kill me!" How did he know the elf Queen's name? Can't think about that now though. Alimorel was divulging a plan to dislodge the knife and run for it. He took her by her feet again and started dragging her across the ground. She had to make her move. . .NOW! Alimorel quickly twisted onto her side. The knife was now facing sideways along her back so it didn't hurt to move. The speaker lost his grip on her feet and she jumped up and around to face him. She reached behind her and quickly pulled the knife out of her vest. She was poised to throw the knife again when she saw that the thrower was the elf/boy from the room. She suddenly had a better idea. She threw the knife so that it grazed his ear and he was forced to dodge. While he was off-balance Alimorel jumped onto him and flattened him. "You." She hissed in his ear. "Jeez lady, an enchanted spider is just about the oldest trick in the book. You can't let it sit so still smart one." He retorted "You think no one's gonna notice a stationary spider?" Anger was boiling up inside Alimorel. She ought to slit his smart-alec human throat right now, but, of course, she was a reckless idiot and wanted answers she thought. Alimorel took a hold of one clay ear and wrenched it off to the cries of "Hey, hey there! No! WAIT! DON'T!" but she had already seen. There was a small point at the end. Big enough not to be human, but too small to be elf. "What kind of freak are you?" gasped Alimorel "Well," said the boy "You're the one who goes ripping peoples ears off."

"Who are you?" asked Alimorel, intrigued.

"Why should you care?"

"Well, you're neither all elf, nor all human from what I can tell. Never seen anything like it."

"I don't see why that's so important. I'm not a threat, just let me go."

"You put a knife in my back."

"Fine, I'm sorry. OK?"

"No. Not OK." said Alimorel. Her voice deadly quiet. Tell me who you are, and I'll bring you to Islanzadi. You will have a fair trial for attempted murder. Or I could easily kill you right here." She waved her knife lazily. "How old are you?"

"19"

"Hmm. . .I'm guessing you're counting in elf years because you've been alive a lot longer than that." said Alimorel, reading the signs that his body was giving off. He was really 107 years old, which was roughly 19 years old in human years. Alimorel herself was 19 ½ in human years. Great. More things in common.

"You're part elf" she said absently

"No, duh."

"Shut up with the wise mouth. What's your name?"

"Fine, I'm Drogomir Moorsson." he admitted easily. Alimorel didn't miss this and looked into his eyes. "As if. Now, who are you really?" "I told you I'm Drog-"

"And I told you I don't believe you." Then Alimorel plunged into his thoughts.

"No. It's not possible." Alimorel gasped. She had securely tied up "Drogomir" and was sitting in a corner of the cave she had found, head in her hands. She had seen what could not exist. He had given his word as a dragon rider. This could be his downfall. Everyone knew he had given up on Arya long ago. This could destroy Eragon. Alimorel had found out the boys true name. She knew his parents. There was no escaping the truth. Yet Arya swore she had no children. The boy was Alezando Eragonsson.


	2. Chapter 2

"This will ruin Eragon!" Alimorel muttered. She had made camp in the forest about 3 miles away from the society hideout and was trying to start a fire. Rubbing her palm together, they emitted an orange glow and a few sparks jumped out. "Concentrate, Ali." She said to herself. Pushing all other thoughts from her mind, she rubbed her palms together again, this time a flame started. Alimorel gently blew on the flames in her hand until they caught onto the cotton and twigs that she had collected. Wiping her hands on her breeches, stifling the leftover flames, she threw a log onto the crackling fire. Satisfied, she turned to Alezando. She almost smiled at his attempts to make fire. Rubbing his palms together he was chanting "Fire, fire, fire, fire." Finally Alimorel took pity on him. "Magic doesn't work if you use human language." she said, untying the green ribbon that kept her chocolate-brown hair in a ponytail, letting it fall just shy of her shoulders, and pulling out the pin that kept her bangs out of her eyes.

"Enlighten me, O' elf-lady." replied Alezando. Alimorel turned to him slowly, green eyes blazing and, walking toward him on silent feet, leaning over until her nose almost touched his, she said "Two things. One: Your attitude is so annoying I could cut out your tongue right now. Two: You WILL refer to me as 'Miss Silentread' or 'Alimorel' or I will hogtie and gag you, which I have no wish to do because there is much I can find out about you, as you are one of the most intriguing people I have met in all of my 115 years, so please don't make me kill you. So to answer your question, you must use elvish to work magic."

"Would you like to tell me what the elvish word for fire is?" he asked.

"Any day now would be nice." he said after Alimorel didn't respond. She smiled to herself. He _was _funny, if odd. "We shall see. I don't see any sense in giving you knowledge about magic. What will you give me in return? Information?" Alimorel was used to this kind of bargaining. Alezando looked thoughtful, and Alimorel was getting excited to hear the information until. . . "How about I give you my company on this journey. You need someone funny to make you be less serious. On this journey, you will need someone of my intelligence, humor, and rugged good looks!" Alimorel almost choked on her water laughing. Alezando looked pleased. "When you speak of this "journey", you do realize that we will only be traveling for 2 and ½ days, don't you?"

"Oh. Well, now I do!"

"No fire."

"Uhg. Fine, if I get us some horses, will you tell me?"

"Hmmm. . ."  
"C'mon, please?"

"Fine. Make sure they're good horses though."

"Aye-aye, cap'n." he said. With a mock salute and a wink, he was gone. Alimorel smiled to herself. Against her better judgment, she was warming to this half-blood, though he was still a danger. She didn't see the harm in having him as an acquaintance though, so she decided to let him stay a while. Alimorel walked over to the small pool of water beside the camp. Her usually olive-toned skin was dark with dirt in patches. She took some of the water in her hands and scrubbed her face, trying to rub the dirt off of her small, straight nose. When she looked at her reflection again, her long, slanting face stared back with just as much dirt as before. Only her large, deadly green eyes and her full mouth remained discernable. Sighing, she slipped off her clothes and, inch by inch, let her small, lithe body settle into the freezing water. After a good soak, she could finally see her cheekbones, high up on her face, and her pointed chin. She slipped back into her clothes and waited for Alezando to come back. When he arrived with two exceptional piebald horses, she even gave him a smile. When he started rubbing his palms together again, she pointed at his cupped hands and said "Brisingr." And a flame jumped up.

Over those 2 and ½ days of travel, Alimorel Silentread and Alezando Eragonsson became friends, though neither really noticed it. Alimorel was beginning to really like this half-elf illegal boy, and was almost sad to see Islanzadi's towers again, because this meant that her time with him was drawing to a close. She couldn't tell the truth about who he was, so he would probably be dragged off to the dungeon. She had been teaching him how to close his mind, and told him to go by his alias, Drogomir Moorsson. She magicked his ears so that they looked human as long as they didn't examine too closely. She wouldn't tell him why she was doing this, and he was beginning to feel nervous as they approached the tower. What is it?" he asked Alimorel "C'mon Ali, something's wrong." Alimorel walked along silently, ignoring his pleas for her to tell him what was wrong. "Get off here." She said. They dismounted their horses and they immediately set to grazing. "I'm not going in, Ali."

"Aleza-, Drogomir, come on!" Alimorel said.

"No."

Alimorel sighed. Walking up to him, she put a hand on his shoulder. Running it down his arm so that she had his hand in hers, she looked at him. His eyes lit up, and his heart started beating faster in anticipation. Then, in a lightning-fast movement, she placed her other hand on his shoulder, got behind him and twisted his arm around behind his back. She started pushing on the arm to go up until Alezando went "Ouch, ouchouchouch. OW! Damn it, Ali STOP!" She moved the arm back down but never let it down. "I could break your arm right now." she said in his ear.

"You wouldn't, Ali. Friends don't hurt friends." Alezando said, his eyes trusting. Alimorel sighed and dropped his arm, but never let go of his pinky finger. He had become her friend, it was true. Even against her better judgment, she knew it was too late. She couldn't hurt him. At least not _badly_. "From now on, block the information that I told you to."

"But-"

"Just DO IT!"

Pulling him by his little finger she walked into Islanzadi's throneroom. "Ah, Ali. I've been waiting. What tidings do you bring?" Alimorel bowed and handed her sketchbook over. She had ripped out the page with her sketch of Alezando before she came in. The Queen looked over the pictures, then looked at Alimorel. "Very good," Islanzadi said. "And who is this?"

"This is Drogomir Moorsson." Alimorel replied. "He is a recently unapprenticed man. 19 years of age. He was on the road and tried to attack me because he wasn't used to elves and thought I was a spy." _He was right._ Alimorel thought to herself. Islanzadi looked him over then summoned her bodyguards. "Guards, take this man to the dungeon to await trail. Leave me and Miss Silentread alone." The guards walked forward and seized Alezando. As he was dragged away he said. "What is this? I don't understand! Why? Ali? Please don't! ALI!" As he was dragged past, Alimorel watched with a look that she hoped said "Sorry." When they were gone, Islanzadi turned to Alimorel and said "Now, Ali, I will see what really happened. Alimorel closed off part of her thoughts as the Queen entered her mind

"So, Ali, I'm glad that you found out where these plotters are. I will study your drawings more carefully and see if I recognize any of those people. Now. About that boy. I didn't see the road ambush incident. You are hiding things from me, Ali. I must know everything." Ali was torn. Her two friends. She had to betray one or the other. With a sigh, she opened her mind a little more. Islanzadi saw "Drogomir" tackle Alimorel and throw the knife, but not their conversations. She saw the recent arm-twisting incident. She saw him being taken away just a few minutes before. And before Alimorel could rein it in, the flood of emotion that went along with that scene cascaded into her mind. Islanzadi pulled away from Alimorel's mind. "Well, Ali, you seem to have developed a bond. Yet I can still sense the wall. What will you not tell me? Aren't we friends?" Alimorel was so torn the Queen could sense it. "What is it Ali? The thing you refuse to tell me. . .?" "It's private." Alimorel replied. "Ah. I think I know what you're trying to keep from me." Alimorel was puzzled until she looked into Islanzadi's eyes and saw. . .

"No. he's just a friend." Alimorel said quickly, blushing.

"Really?" replied the Queen. "You seem to feel somewhat more towards this Drogomir than you let on." Alimorel replied "I love my friends, for they are a gift that shall last forever. But I love them just as friends" Islanzadi raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Well then, Drogomir Moorssons' trial shall proceed as planned, though I do not doubt that he shall be punished for his crime." Alimorel hardly dared ask "What is the punishment?"

"The punishment for attacking a bystander is punishable by enslavement."

Alimorel despaired. She might never see him again. Islanzadi continued "The trial will take place in 1 hour. You are dismissed Alimorel Silentread." Alimorel bowed and left.


	3. Chapter 3

The trial was short, Alezando was condemned to servitude and to be sold at the slave auctions the next day. When the judge asked if anyone would like to say anything in his defense, Alezando looked expectantly at Alimorel. When she said nothing, his eyes clouded from the pain of her betrayal.

Alimorel didn't sleep that night. In the morning she went to the 6:00 market where you could look over the slaves that were to be auctioned off. Alimorel passed by the other criminals as if they weren't there. They had all been branded on the inside of their wrists with the image of a snake, marking them as slaves. Finally, Alimorel came to the stall Alezando was in. "I'm sorry." Alimorel whispered. "I'm so, so sorry." Alezando looked up. When he saw her, pain flashed through his eyes then he dropped his head again. "Don't do this Al! Please! I didn't mean to hurt you! I would have been arrested if I'd stood up for you! Please! I'll get you out of this! Damn it can't you see I don't want you to be enslaved for eternity?" She was barely restraining the tears in her eyes. She got up and started to leave when he said "That's the first time I've heard you swear." Alimorel sank back to sitting cross-legged on the ground. "Yeah, well, I learned from the best." she said, looking into his sad gray-blue eyes. She took his wrist and traced the outline of the snake tattoo. He shivered as she got to the head. Luckily, no one was around at this time of day to wonder at their interaction. "I'm going to try my best to get you out of here." Alimorel said, letting his hand go. "I hope I don't die." Alezando replied. "And Al? That's a horrible nickname. How about 'Alezando the Great' or 'Awesome'?" A tense silence stretched between them for a moment, then they both burst out laughing.

Now it was time for the auction. The slave auctions weren't done with money. It was much more fair than that. The slaves actually got a say in the matter. Unfortunately they were usually deceived. The elves bid on a slave. Then the slave picks out the master that they want. Everyone got dressed up for the slave auctions and wore a smile so that the slave would pick them, but most of the time, the dressed-up elves were actually not that nice, they just wanted to look good so that the slaves would pick them. Alimorel didn't want to look out of place so, instead of her usual breeches, boots, long shirt and short leather vest, she wore a simple green dress that left her well-tanned shoulders bare and the skirt part went down a little past her knees, but was flowy for maximum mobility. Her chocolate-brown hair was loose and her bangs that fell halfway over her eyes were brushed to one side, covering most of her right eye. The sleeves went down her slender arms to a little past her elbows then bloomed into a flowing sleeve-trail. The dress went over her slim, well-muscled figure then bloomed out. Elves who didn't know her well didn't immediately know that this was Alimorel the Blacksmith.

A little while after she got there, the bidding started. Alezando was number 12. The announcer said "Drogomir Moorsson, human. Convicted of assaulting and attempted murder. Price is 3,000." Five elves raised their hands, including Alimorel. They lined up at the frond and Alezando was allowed to walk up and down the line twice. On his second pass by Alimorel, he gave a tiny nod that only she saw, and walked back up. The announcer said "What is your choice for your new master?" Alezando hesitated for a moment, and Alimorel started to worry that he didn't trust her anymore and wouldn't pick her, but then his clear, perfect voice rang around the clearing. "Alimorel Silentread shall be my new mistress. That is my final decision."

"I thought for a moment that you weren't going to choose me." Alimorel said later in her house carved out of a tree trunk. Alezando looked away "Well, I was considering it for a moment. I don't know what to make of you Ali. I want to trust you, but how do I know that you won't betray me again?" "I got you out of this slave mess," she reminded him.

"But I'm still your slave. You have yet to release me."

"It's good for show, and it raises my status to have a slave." she replied.

"That's selfish of you. I thought you were getting me _out _of this mess."

"Well, you're only a slave for show. I'll still treat you like a friend."

"Oh, OK then." He said sarcastically. And with that Alimorel got up from the table to get the pot of boiling water off the fire. "Tea?" she asked Alezando.

"Uh, sure. What kind?"

"You'll find out." she replied. Alimorel poured two cups of boiling water and put a net containing tea leaves in each one. Then she took them back to the table. "You look nice today." Alezando commented. Alimorel smiled and replied "And you look like a slave. Which reminds me, we need to get you some good clothes. Eventually I'll say that Drogomir Moorsson the slave ran away. We need to make you look as unlike yourself as possible until that time. Then we will get you some elvish clothes and take off the fake ears and everything, and you will live in our elf society as Alezando Strongarms. You came from the mountain elves which is why you looks rougher than wood elves." Alezando, looked thoughtful, replied "You planned this all out already?"

"Well, yes, but the mountain elf part just came to mind, I was thinking maybe of passing you for an elf with a weight issue"

Alezando grimaced "Gee, thanks."

"You get the cot in this room. The bathroom's over there, I'm hoping you know how to use a chamber pot"

"Of cour-"

"And I'm just upstairs"

"Nice house."Alezando commented, looking around the tree-trunk room.

"Thanks, it took me FOREVER to sing out my room. Good night."

"Wait, you said si-" The door slammed behind her. "Well, g'night then." He muttered to himself. Alezando walked into the bathroom. _Whoa! Awesome!_ He thought as he took in the scene. A trickle of water was steadily running down into a large leaf, where it drained into the tree's roots. For baths there was a small waterfall running down into a little pool. He touched it, perfectly cool, but not cold. If this was HIS room, he wondered what Alimorel's was like. _And all of this in a TREE!_ He thought in awe. Then Alezando decided not to dwell on this too much, and soaked in the water for an hour, then went to bed, hearing the faint scraping of a pen on paper upstairs as Alimorel did her work.


	4. Chapter 4

Alimorel woke up, still wanting to sleep but having to report to the Queen. She got out of bed and slogged down to her ground level to make tea. As she set the water on, she heard a noise, and turned around. "Oh my g-. Jeez. Way to scare me." She said to Alezando, standing in the doorway in his leather vest and rumpled hose, which he had clearly slept in. Alimorel looked him over and said "We really need to get you some pajamas." "Like those?" he asked, looking at her silk blue loose shirt and pants "Thanks, but no thanks." Alimorel looked mildly annoyed, still half asleep, she said drowsily "They're really comfy. But whatever. You can choose." With that she shuffled back up the stairs with her tea. In her room, she pulled on her undershirt, heavy-duty flexible-weave shirt, tunic, and her thick leather vest, which still had the niche Alezandos well-thrown knife had left in her back. As she pulled her hose on, she thought about today. The Queen would probably want to interrogate her more, but she should be done around noon. Then she could take Alezando to the market to get him some actual clothes. But hopefully that wouldn't take too long. As Alimorel descended the steps, she realized that she'd forgotten something and leaped back to her room, where she slid a dagger into each boot, one in her vest, and one in each shoulder-pocket. Shaking her head at her own absent-mindedness she went back downstairs, where Alezando was waiting at the table, sipping the tea that she had made. "Good tea," he said, glancing up at her, and then back down to the book he held. She regarded him for a minute, then said "I'm going to a meeting, you're going to stay here, and if you can, please sweep the fireplace so it doesn't get clogged." Without looking up from his book, Alezando responded "Yes, master."

"That's more like it."

"Hey, I thought I was a guest." Alimorel looked at him and said "No, a friend. Friends do work. Well, at least you do." Alezando grimaced "Yeah, but-HEY!" Alimorel deftly took his book out of his hands, looked at the page he was reading with a bored expression, then flipped it closed. "'The Pocket Guide to Elvish Culture'? Sad." Alezando was annoyed "You just lost my page!" Alimorel continued "After I get back, we will go to the market, get you some new clothes, and get some more food." Alezando watched her for a minute, and as she turned the handle, he said "My book-" "Page 420, goodbye." And she threw the book as she closed the door. It sailed in an arc through the air and hit him in the forehead before bouncing into his lap. "What a lovely way to start your day," he grumbled, "Hmph."

"Alimorel, I'm sorry about your friend being sold at the slave auctions, but it was what was fair" Islanzadi said, regarding Alimorel. Ali said "It was what had to be done, he will not be too sorely missed, he was just a human after all." "Indeed." replied the Queen. Alimorel decided she needed to ask her question now or never "Islanzadi, why do elves have slaves if we are a peaceful race? I've always accepted it as a fact, but it just doesn't make sense." The queen looked at her and sighed. "Ali, not much makes sense, but all has a purpose. Elves have slaves for workers. A long time ago, when we were at war, we had many prisoners. As you know, our laws will not permit us to treat prisoners inhumanely, but there were so many, it was getting hard to supply for them, you see?" Alimorel nodded, "but why weren't they just put to work?"

"Well, Ali, many of them were working already, but humans cannot do many things without harming the environment. So we sold them as cheap labor to rich elves."  
"But why didn't this practice stop once the war was over.?"

"It wasn't over for a long time, and many things we do now are because we have slaves. We became dependent on their labor. And enslaving them here may even be better for them than enslavement in their own world. Here they are treated humanely, if not fairly. Now we have become dependent on slave labor for many of the simple tasks that make our economy work."

"Ah, well, that answers my question then. But it still doesn't seem fair"

"I never said it was. So back to the conspiracy; Ali, I have been looking at your sketches all night, but I do not think I know any of those men. I would like you to find out. Next week it the Fall Festival, and you will not be missed there, so you shall go then. Wherever you need to go, you may, I will pay for it." Alimorel was excited for a new mission "Thank you Islanzadi." "You're welcome Ali. Thank YOU. You may go now." Alimorel started to walk towards the door, as she was in the doorway, the Queen's voice sounded again "And Ali, who did buy that boy anyway?" Alimorel's heart lurched. "I-I didn't see your majesty, h-he had a funny accent. Maybe lake-elf. I'm not sure." "Oh," said Islanzadi. "Very well then. Go." Alimorel got out a fast as she could.

As Alimorel walked up to the tree that was her home, she heard a bang from inside, and a loud swearword. She rolled her eyes, and opened the door. There stood Alezando, with the broom by his side, covered in soot. He'd tracked sooty footprints all the way from the fire-room into the kitchen where he had evidently just been trying to rinse off the brush. They both stood there for a moment, then Alimorel started laughing. A breathless, merry laugh, that Alezando joined in on. "Wha-? What happened?!" Alimorel said in between gasps. "Well," said Alezando, "The chimney was clogged, so I sort of poked the broom up there and I felt something move, so I sort of pushed it, and WHOOSH! All this soot comes flying out." Alimorel doubled back over, laughing again. Alezando said helplessly "Well, I think you're chimney's clear now." After Alimorel had calmed down, she said "Well, the tree will absorb the soot, we just need to get out for a bit. You DEFINETLY need new clothes now. Go wash up, and you can borrow some of my hose and a tunic for now." And she tramped upstairs, still giggling.


	5. Chapter 5

A little while later, she came down and knocked on his door. When no answer came, she let herself in slowly, to hear the sounds of violently splashing water. Alimorel dropped the clothes on the cot, walked to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Hey, are you OK in there."

"Um, I'm still alive, but how do you drain the bath water?" came a voice from inside.

"Uh, hard to explain, you have to talk to it."

Sighing, he replied "Yep, just another crazy thing here that I CAN'T DO! Help!" Alimorel sighed. "Put a towel on and I'm coming in there in 5. . .4. . .3. . .2. . .1. . , I'm going in." What she saw was a shivering wet Alezando draped with a towel, and next to him, a pool full of black water. "Ew! OK THAT'S nasty. I can't drain this much water. Are you clean enough?" she asked, still staring at the murk. Alezando replied "Clean enough." Alimorel turned to him. His hair was still black at the tips, and his wet eyelashes were black instead of the normal dark brown, but his skin that wasn't wrapped in the towel looked clean enough. "It will take the pool about an hour to drain, but you can get dressed and we can leave now. I'll give you a little time, and I'll make lunch," she said. And with that, she left the room.

Alimorel was making fruit-salad and had laid out two bowls on the table when Alezando came out of his room. The hose were too short and showed his ankles, and the sleeves of the shirt only reached halfway down his lower arm. The tunic, however, fit, and the gold belt that tied it looked good with the different shades of green. Alimorel smiled and said "You're lucky that you have tall boots, but I don't think we can do anything about the sleeves." Alezando tugged at the shirt, then at the hose "These are so tight. How do you stand it?"

"You'll have too, to live in elf culture, and they are supposed to be tight, so they can't be caught on anything."

"Uhg. Lovely."

Alimorel smiled and brought the fruit salad over in a bowl and set it in the middle of the table. She took a scoop-full, and Alezando took three. "Do you ever want meat?" she asked curiously. "Nope," he said "I've been a vegetarian my whole life." They ate in silence for a few more minutes. Alimorel realized that Alezando had soot on the side of his nose. "You still have some soot. There." She said, motioning towards her nose. "No, a little more to the right. No!" she said, exasperated and pointed to the right side of his nose. Alezando started rubbing it, but that just spread it. "Sheesh, can't you humans understand how to wipe stuff off your faces?" She took a napkin, dipped it in water, and handed it so him. He looked confused, and wiped the tip of his nose. Alimorel rolled her eyes and grabbed the napkin. Dipping it again, she guided it too his nose, where the soot was, and wiped it off. "There, you see?" asked Alimorel, showing Alezando the sooty napkin. His eyes flickered from the napkin too her face, then back to the napkin again. He was silent. Alimorel pushed out her chair and went to the door. "Let's just go to the market, OK?"

The market was never bustling, but the elves made enough money to keep it going. Alimorel's favorite tailor was displaying a new lightweight weave that went under the armor for battle. She stopped and considered it, then moved on. Her tailor knew elves too well and would sense something about Alezando. Alimorel turned and asked "What do you need from here clothes-wise?" Alezando replied "Um, pants, a shirt, the works." And with that Alimorel was off down the rows of stores. She came up to a young-looking elf and asked about their fittings. He said that they did indeed have clothes that fit the more bulky type of elf. By that time Alezando had caught up, out of breath. "You don't have to run so fast, you know. It's not like burglars are on our tails." He puffed. Alimorel said nothing. If only he knew what kinds of things were after her.

The tailor came back out and said that he was ready to take the measurements. Alimorel waited outside of the screen while that happened, looking at a particularly slim and light dagger. It was perfect for throwing, but not so good for cutting. She tested it out, her hand fitting into the comfortable leather grip. "I'll take this." She said. Handing over two gold coins and fitted the sheath and dagger onto her belt, which looked like a mini-arsenal compared to her plain clothes. She walked over to the side of the shop, pulled out her new dagger and waited until Alezando was walking around the corner, craning his head all around looking for her. She soundlessly slipped behind him and wrapped her hand around his shoulder across his chest, locking his right arm under her shoulder, and under his arm, and in the same movement, turned her arm over and grabbed the wrist of his left arm, rendering them useless. She held the dagger up to his throat and whispered in his ear "Be less trusting with people you've just met, and always watch your back."

He stiffened and started kicking, so Alimorel wrapped her right leg around Alezandos' right. She stepped onto his left one hard.

"Traitor!" he hissed, and tried to arch his back to get away from her, but her iron grip on his chest wouldn't budge. Alimorel almost laughed, but she whispered to him, face right next to his, "You need to be more attentive. Always assume that the shadows hide danger, and look extra carefully there. You have much to learn, and I've learned that I must train you, for no one else's teaching methods are quite as. . .convincing." the last part came out as a playfully menacing hiss. Then she put her mouth so close to his ear she could feel the heat coming off of them from his embarrassment, she blew straight into it. Laughing outright, she loosened her grip on him and put a knee to his back to push him away. When he turned around, growling, but barely containing a laugh too, Alimorel just doubled over and sat on the ground, talking between gasps. "You. . .should've seen. . .your face! It was just the funniest thing!" As Alimorel regained her composure, she wondered what had brought on that laughing fit, or the random feeling of happiness now. But she had so little time in her life for real happiness, she let herself enjoy it. Alezando just stood there for a while, looking at her face, a little shocked that the normally sedate elf was laughing up a storm, right now of all times, but he had to laugh too and flopped down on the springy moss next to her, and didn't say a word. They just lay there and enjoyed the feeling of carelessness for one rare moment in their lives.


	6. Chapter 6

Later, back at Alimorel's home, Alezando looked back on the incident. Everything had happened so fast, he couldn't sort out one moment from another during it. Now he decided to dissect it. At first he'd been scared, but knew not to scream, because he didn't want to attract attention unless absolutely necessary. He'd felt betrayed, because he'd let himself trust her (again) and yet here she was pressing a dagger to his throat. Then she's talked about how he needed to be trained, and he finally knew that it was just a test. A test that he'd failed epically, but just a test, none the less. Then he'd become more aware of her head beside his, her lips next to his, warning him about the shadows, her cheek right there. He knew it was a defense theory, but he still wanted to believe that she was touching his cheek for more than defense. And then he realized that the warmth that was coming from her body was pressed against his. Her hard, lithe figure pressed against his back, and the feeling came back so delicious that he almost wanted her to attack him more often.

NO! He couldn't let himself fall for this elf-woman! She was his teacher. His pass to freedom. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach that made his heart go faster, when he thought of their compressed bodies, intertwined legs, and warm cheeks. The knowledge that it was purely a defensive hold, not anything intimate, did not dim the hunger that he felt. It was not just lust; he knew that from past experiences. It was love that made him aware of something special about her sweet personality underneath her tough exterior, the way she moved, and even how she held her dagger to his throat.

"Stop it Alezando! You IDIOT!" he said to himself. "This will wreck our friendship. Elves barely ever fall in love, and even then, she might not even love ME." He resolved to bottle up his feelings, knowing even then that they would explode at some point. Maybe, one day, she could understand how he felt. One day, maybe. Then he pulled on his hose and opened the door, when he heard a crash in the cooking area and a quickly muffled scream.

Alezando crept down the stairs, using his best imitation of the silent pace he'd picked up from Alimorel. He peeked into the cooking area, and saw Alimorel on the table, bound by her hands and feet, and strapped to the table by rope. A larger elf was lying on top of her, forcefully pressing his mouth to hers, even as she struggled to get free of him. When she bit him, he smacked her and started unbutton her shirt. Her leather armor was already on the floor, and her hose were halfway ripped off, revealing her underwear. Alimorel started screaming again and the large elf slammed his lips down on hers again, silencing her. Alezando grabbed one of the daggers from the shelf and edged towards the table. He knew that he didn't stand a chance if the larger elf noticed him, so he went around behind as silently as he could. Alimorel's eyes locked onto him for a brief moment, and Alezando thought that he had seen a pleading look in her eyes. When the large elf went back to unbuttoning Alimorel's shirt, Alezando made his move. He jumped onto the elves' back, wrapped a hand around his chest and immobilized his arms as best he could, not having practiced the hold before. He held the dagger to the elves' throat and stepped onto his feet to keep him from moving. He looked at Alimorel, asking a silent question. She looked at him, with an odd look on her face, maybe trying to restrain tears, and nodded. With one smooth motion, Alezando cut the elves' throat.


End file.
